Lincoln Middle School Gym

A long-awaited project is finally underway at Lincoln Middle School: construction of a new gym to replace the oldest and most outmoded middle school gymnasium in the Rio Rancho school district.

Contractor T.A. Cole and Sons began site preparation and grading earlier this month, and students, RRPS staff, and dignitaries formally broke ground at the site in mid-January. The project was designed by Van H. Gilbert Architects, whose history with the district also includes design of V. Sue Cleveland High School. Replacement of the Lincoln gym and associated remodeling of portions of the campus are the last major projects in the 2012 bond issue cycle.

History was a big theme at the groundbreaking, as several speakers acknowledged the many milestones the Rio Rancho district has celebrated in the old Lincoln gym. The Lincoln campus was originally built by Albuquerque Public Schools in 1983 and inherited by RRPS when Rio Rancho became an independent district in 1994. Superintendent Sue Cleveland remembered that the first RRPS staff meeting was held in the Lincoln gym. At an assembly in the gym, Intel first announced that they would build the core

of the Rio Rancho High School campus. Students cheered as Bill Sheppard, at the time Intel's Director of New Site Development, told them that a computer chip (the Pentium: remember those?) would build them a high school. (This photo from the Rio Rancho Observer archives was taken by Jay Tharinger.)

School Board President Ramon Montaño was one of several speakers whose students went to Lincoln, and Board Secretary Ryan Parra recalled fond memories of being a student and attending events in the old Lincoln gym.

Construction of the new gym should be completed in about a year. The associated remodeling of the Lincoln campus to repurpose the old gym space, add classrooms, replace HVAC systems, and upgrade plumbing and electrical systems is planned for completion in mid-2019.

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